AC Replacement: When Is It Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner?

Studies have shown that more than 90% of American households use air conditioners throughout the course of the year. And it’s not hard to see why.

When it gets very warm outside, the inside of a home can heat up to an uncomfortable level. It can get very hot and stuffy in a home and make it hard to perform routine tasks without working up a sweat.

With this in mind, you should make sure your home’s air conditioner is in good working order at all times. You should also consider doing AC replacement if you spot certain signs of trouble with your air conditioning system.

By putting a new AC unit into place, you’ll keep your home cooler and more comfortable when the temperatures go up outside. You’ll also improve your indoor air quality and protect certain aspects of your home in the process.

Here are some of the things that’ll let you know you need to replace your AC system sooner rather than later.

Your AC Is on the Older Side

Do you happen to have a 30-year-old air conditioner in your home right now?

First of all, congratulations! You’ve managed to squeeze every ounce of life out of your home’s AC system.

But you should be warned that an AC system that’s that old isn’t going to last much longer. In fact, an AC system that’s even half as old as that one is probably on the verge of giving out on you sometime soon.

On average, most AC systems are only designed to last for between 12 and 15 years. If you’re able to get your AC to last longer than that, you should consider it a bonus. But you shouldn’t count on it to keep on going forever.

If your AC is on the older side, AC replacement is likely going to be in your immediate future. You should begin looking around at new AC units and get some ideas as far as which ones you like and how much they’ll cost.

It’s better to get out ahead of AC replacement and do it on a schedule as opposed to being forced to do it when your AC gives out on you in the middle of a hot day.

Your AC No Longer Keeps Your Home Cool

When you turn your AC on to cool your house down on a warm day, it’ll spring into action right away. But it will take some time for it to bring the temperature in your home down.

Generally speaking, it takes most AC systems about three hours to reduce the temperature in a home by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. During that time, your AC system will work to remove warm air from your home and replace it with cool air.

If you find that your AC takes a lot longer than that to cool your home off or, worse, if you find that your AC isn’t able to cool your home off like it used to, it’s an issue.

In some instances, a simple repair to your AC system might solve the problem. You should think about scheduling AC repair to see if that does the trick.

But in other cases, AC replacement will be your only option if you want to start cooling your house off again. You’ll need to put a new AC unit into place to get your AC system working the way it’s supposed to.

Your AC Always Seems to Need Repairs

Over time, your AC system is going to need to be repaired. Even if you take all the right steps when it comes to maintaining and servicing your AC unit, there will be times when a portion of your system gives out on you.

There are some repairs that are minor in nature. For example, a clogged drain line in your AC system or an electrical problem can be fixed in no time.

But there are also more extensive repairs that might need to be made to your AC system as it ages. The following AC parts can present repair challenges that can prove to be costly:

AC compressor

Blower motor

Condenser coils

If you need to have these parts repaired every so often, it’s not the end of the world. But if you need to have them repaired multiple times within just a year or two, the cost of repairing your AC system is going to start to add up.

Think about doing AC replacement when your AC repairs start to spiral out of control. You could end up saving yourself a nice chunk of change by replacing your AC instead of continuing to repair it.

Your AC Is Causing Your Energy Costs to Spike

It’s not uncommon for a home’s energy costs to spike during the warmer months of the year. Many homeowners keep their AC systems turned on almost all the time during these months, which accounts for the increase in energy costs.

But if you’ve seen your energy costs go up higher than usual in the spring, summer, and even fall, this could be a sign that you need to have AC replacement done. It would appear as though your AC is using up far too much energy day in and day out and making you pay for it.

You may be able to bring your energy bills back down to earth by making repairs to your AC system so that it runs more efficiently. But there is also a chance that your AC system is not energy efficient enough and needs to be replaced.

If this turns out to be the case, AC replacement might save you money on your energy bills every month, especially if you install a Rheem air conditioner through a Rheem Pro Partner. Your new AC will start paying for itself the second you have it installed in your home.

Your AC Is Bad for the Environment

For years, a refrigerant called R-22 has been used in air conditioning systems. But at the moment, R-22 is being phased out because it can be very harmful to the environment. It has been shown to deplete the ozone and is thus no longer the standard refrigerant used in AC systems.

If you’re still using an AC system that relies on R-22, you should try and have it replaced as soon as you can. Outside of the fact that it’s harming the environment when you use it, it’s also going to become very expensive to repair AC systems that use R-22 in the coming months and years.

Rather than trying to keep on using your current AC system, you should invest in one that uses a more eco-friendly refrigerant. It’ll be less expensive to repair this kind of system and will allow you to do your part to help the environment.

Your AC Is Too Big or Small for Your Home

Did whoever lived in your home before you buy an AC unit that is either too big or too small for it? This can hurt you and your home in a number of ways.

If your AC unit is too big for your home, it’ll have a hard time keeping it comfortable. It’ll also struggle to remove humidity from your home and waste more energy than it should.

If your AC unit is too small for your home, it’ll make it difficult for it to keep your home cool. It also might waste too much energy since it’ll need to run almost all the time in an effort to cool down your house.

The AC system that you have hooked up to your home should be sized properly for it. An AC installation company can help you get your hands on an AC that’s the right size during an AC replacement project.

Your AC Is Taking a Toll on the Value of Your Property

If you plan on selling your home anytime soon, you’re not going to want to do it with an older AC in place. It could drag down the value of your home and serve as a huge red flag for potential buyers.

By doing AC replacement, you can show buyers your commitment to providing them with a quality home that is in great shape from top to bottom. You can also prevent them from having to move in and spend a bunch of money right away on a new AC unit.

You’ll get better offers for your home when you sell it with a new AC in place. It’ll portray your home as a whole in a much better light and make you glad you took the time to perform AC replacement.

Schedule an AC Replacement Consultation Today

Do you suspect that your home’s AC system might be on its last legs right now?

Instead of waiting until your AC conks out on you, you should schedule an AC replacement consultation to see which AC units you might want to install in your home. You can learn all about the different AC units and find one that’s right for you.

We would love to walk you through some of your options and show you the excellent AC systems we have in stock. As a Rheem Pro Partner, we can provide you with the AC you need to keep your home comfortable all year round.